Adjustable dress-form.



A. D. BAILEY.

ADJUSTABLE DRESS FORM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30.1913.

Patented May 8, 1917.

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ADJUSTABLE DRESS FORM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30,1913.

Patented May 8, 1917.

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ANNA DEANE BAILEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADJUSTABLE DRESS-FORM.

Application filed July 30, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANNA DEANE BAILEY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Dress-Forms, of which the following is a specification.

One of the main objects of this invention is to provide a yieldable dress form which may be contracted and varied in shape or contour by applying pressure to the exterior thereof, means being provided to hold the form in the desired shape.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a yieldable dress form which in its normal position will be at its maximum dimensions, and which may be readily contracted within a suitable flexible inelastic casing, and held by said casing in the proper shape.

Another object of the invent-ion is to provide a yieldable dress form which in its normal condition is at its maximum dimensions, but which may be readily contracted and held within a properly shaped covering. This covering is preferably what is known among dressmakers as a lining. These linings are first carefully fitted to the person who is to serve as the model for the dress form and are then accurately secured over the dress form, the said form being contracted and conformed to the correct shape and exact dimensions of the lining, and the lining serving as the inelastic means for holding the dress form in the desired shape. When the lining is properly adjusted to the form the form becomes an exact model or reproduction of the person to whom the lining was fitted.

There are other objects and advantages of the invention which will appear more fully hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dress form, a portion of the permanent covering thereof being broken away to illustrate the interior construction thereof;

Fig. 2 a vertical central sectional view of the form;

Fig. 3 a horizontal sectional view thereof;

Fig. 4 a detail View of one of thecompressible springs;

Fig. 5 a rear view of the dress form complete and in its normal condition; and

Fig. 6 a similar view showing the form contracted by means of a fitted covering or lining.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 11.917.

Serial No. 781,953.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings and described herein the inner support is rigid and the springs are secured directly thereto, but it is manifest that these features of construction may be modified without varying the essential chzuacteristics of the invention.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, l designates the inner rigid body of the form which may be of any desired shape, and is preferably hollow as shown in Fig. 2. This rigid body is mounted upon a supporting rod 2; or it may be provided with any suitable support. Secured to the exterior of this rigid body and extending outwardly therefrom in all directions and covering every portion of said rigid body are spiral springs 3. These springs are preferably substantially cone shape with the apex secured to the rigid body and the base extended outwardly therefrom. The springs are preferably secured to the body part of the form suificiently close together to bring their outer largest coils in approximate con tact with each other so that said coils may be readily clamped together, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. These springs are also secured to the arm and shoulder portions of the form so that the shoulders may be contracted and shaped to correspond with the contraction and shape of the entire dress form. Fitted to the form and covering all of the springs 3 is a flexible, contractile covering a, said covering being made of what is generally known as Jersey cloth, this cloth being capable of great expansion to enable it to be adjusted to the parts of the form largest in circumference and at the same time being capable of contracting sufiiciently to closely fit the parts of the form which are smallest in circumference. This material is also desirable in a device of this kind for the reason that when the form is contracted the Jersey cloth will also contract so that there need not be any folds in said cloth when the dress form is contracted to its smallest dimensions. The advantage of the spiral springs shaped and arranged as described is that when the form is contracted and reduced in dimensions the coils of the springs fit one within the other, thereby giving a greater range of adjustability than could be secured by spiral springs having coils of equal diameter.

The dress form in its normal condition is at its maximum dimensions but it may be contracted to a large extent, and throughout its entire surface and across the shoulders. In order to shape the form a cover 5 is first tightly fitted to the person for whom the form is to be made. This cover is then applied to the dress form, said form being compressed and contracted to adjust it to the cover. Suitable means such as hooks and eyes 6 are employed to hold the fitted cover in position. This cover should be of stout inelastic material, such as unbleached muslin or the like, and is applied to the form over the covering a.

The space between the rigid body 1 and the outer covering a is the limit of the variation in the size of the form and this space is suflicient to allow of a very considerable reduction in the size and shape of the form. It is manifest that when the fitted lining is once made it may be applied to and removed from the dress form as desired. It is also manifest that fitted linings of various sizes and shapes may be applied to the form as desired, the form responding and conforming to whatever size andshape of lining may be applied thereto, this ad.- justabilit I or variability in size being limited only by the size of the space between the rigid body part and the exterior flexible contractile cover 4.

It is manifest that various forms of spring devices maybe placed between the rigid inner body part and the outer flexible cover a, and I, of course, do not wish to be limited in any sense to the form of springs shown, although I have found the form shown a very desirable one. When the form is contracted and brought to the proper shape by means of the fitted covering and the form is in use, pins may be run through the entire device without in the least affecting its resiliency and without affecting the means for holding the fitted dress form expanded to its proper form. This is one of the objections to the pneumaticdress forms, where in the variation in size is secured by means of air pressure.

It will be readily understood that the inner support or body may be of any suitable material, and may be supported in any suitable manner, it being only necessary that the said inner body when the form is in use, shall be sulficiently rigid to hold the springs against any substantial inward movement When said springs are compressed or contracted by means of an attached lining. It is manifest that the springs should be held against material bodily inward movement, and to that end the inner support need only be stiff enough to hold the springs in place and to resist the inward pressure when a lining of small dimensions is secured around the form.

What I claim is:

1. A dress form comprising an inner body conforming approximately to the shape of the human form, outwardly extending compressible coil springs supported by said inner body and extending outwardly therefrom approximately radial to the center of said form, the outer coils of adjoining springs being close together and the entire surface of the inner body being covered with springs, a flexible inclosing casing surrounding the inner body and the springs, said casing conforming to the shape of the human form and compressing the springs, the outer coils of the springs engaging said casing, whereby said flexible casing will be held taut by the springs.

2. A dress form comprising a rigid inner body, outwardly extending compressible springs secured to said rigid body and ex tending outwardly therefrom approximately radial to the center of said body, said springs being approximately conical with their smaller ends secured to the rigid inner body, the outer coils of adjoining springs being close together and the entire surface of the rigid body being covered with springs, a flexible inclosing casing surrounding the rigid body and the springs, said casing conforming to the shape of the human form and compressing the springs, the outer coils of the springs engaging said casing, whereby said flexible casing will be held taut by the springs, and a detachable inelastic covering for said form smaller than the normal size of the inclosing casing and adapted to be fitted thereover, and means for detachably securing said inelastic covering about the inclosing casing said covering further compressing the springs, whereby said covering will be held taut by a spring pressure exerted thereon throughout its surface.

3. A dress form comprising an inner body, outwardly extending compressible springs secured to said body and extending outwardly therefrom approximately radial to the center of said form, said springs being approximately conical with their smaller ends secured to the inner body, the outer coils of adjoining springs being close together and the entire surface of the inner body being covered with springs, a flexible inclosing casing surrounding the body and the springs, said casing conforming to the shape of the human form and compressing the springs, the outer coils of the springs joining springs being connected together and the entire surface of the rigid body being covered with springs, a flexible inclosing casing surrounding the rigid body and the springs, said casing conforming to the shape of the human form and compressing the springs, the outer coils of the springs engaging said casing, whereby said flexible casing will be held taut by the springs, and a detachable inelastic covering for said form smaller than the normal size of the inclosing casing and adapted to be fitted thereover, and means for detachably securing said in elastic covering about the inclosing casing said covering further compressing the springs, whereby said covering will be held taut by a spring pressure exerted thereon throughout its surface.

5. A dress form comprising an inner form, a flexible outer casing larger than the form and conforming substantially to the shape of the human form, compressible springs interposed between the form and the outer casing, said springs being arranged over substantially the entire surface of the form and extending outwardly therefrom and being held under compression by the outer casing, whereby said outer casing will be held taut, and a non-elastic outer covering conforming to the shape of the human form and smaller than the outer flexible casing and adapted to be fitted thereover to contract the form to the desired size and shape,

and means for holding said non elastic outer covering in position.

6. A dress form comprising an inner supporting form, a flexible outer casing larger than the inner form and conforming substantially to the shape of the human form, compressible coil springs interposed between the inner form and the outer casing, said springs being arranged over substantially the entire surface of the inner form and extending outwardly therefrom and being held under compression by the inner form and outer casing, whereby said outer casing will be normally held taut.

7. A dress form comprising an inner support, outwardly extending compressible coil springs supported by said inner support and extending therefrom approximately radial to the center thereof, said springs being approximately conical with their smaller ends supported by the said inner support, the outer coils of adjoining springs being close together and substantially the entire surface of the inner support being covered with springs, and means for connecting together the outer coils of adjoining springs.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LILLIAN MCGUIRE, F. R. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

